Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yorockport’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yorockport’, characterized by its uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response and habit; can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal; early flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; intense red purple-colored ray florets; and excellent postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about four weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yorockport’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yorockport’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., and Alva, Fla. The objective of the program is to create or discover new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made in October, 1997 in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4891, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4554, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in December, 1998. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in March, 1999. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Yorockport has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yorockport’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yorockport’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform flowering response and habit.     -   5. Can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal.     -   6. Early flowering, eight week response time.     -   7. Daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray         florets.     -   8. Intense red purple-colored ray florets.     -   9. Excellent post-production longevity with plants maintaining         good substance and color for about four weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in plant form as plants of the female parent selection are more upright. In addition, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have darker colored ray florets than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Yolompoc, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,203. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yolompoc in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more freely flowering         than plants of the cultivar Yolompoc.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were darker in         color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Yolompoc.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Yorockport’ grown as spray-types.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yorockport’ grown as spray-types.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the spring in Salinas, Calif., in a fiberglass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. During the production of these plants, the following conditions were measured: day temperatures, 21° C. to 27° C.; night temperatures, 17° C. to 19° C.; and light levels, 5,000 to 6,000 foot-candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched once about two weeks later. At the time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were initiated. Plants used for the description were grown as spray-types. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yorockport. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4891,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number YB-4554,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; white, close to 155D, in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum that             can be grown as a spray-type or without bud removal. Upright             with lateral branches somewhat outwardly spreading;             uniformly mounded crown. Strong and freely branching growth             habit; about four lateral branches develop after removal of             terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plants.         -   Plant height.—About 29 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 41 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 21 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 6.7 cm. Width: About 5.6 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:             Truncate. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral             lobes parallel to convergent. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Color: Developing and fully expanded             foliage, upper surface: Close to 147A. Developing and fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: More green than 147B.             Venation, upper surface: Close to 147A. Venation, lower             surface: Close to 147B. Petiole length: About 2 cm. Petiole             diameter: About 3 mm. Petiole texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Petiole color, upper surface: More             green than 147A. Petiole color, lower surface: Close to             147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals             above foliage. Disk and ray florets develop acropetally on a             capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Uniform and early flowering             habit; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short night             conditions followed by photoinductive short day/long night             conditions flower about eight weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about four weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Grown as a spray-type, about             five per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Oblate. Color: 146A to 147A.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 7.4 cm.         -   Inforescence height.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Diameter of disc.—About 2 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 7 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3.7 mm. Width: About 9 mm.             Corolla tube length: About 5 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong.             Apex: Acute, rounded or emarginate. Base: Fused into a             corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Orientation: Initially upright             to eventually reflexed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 22 arranged in a single whorl. Color:             When opening and fully opened, upper surface: Closest to             72A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 155D             underlain with close to 77A.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Length: About 8 mm. Diameter, apex: About 2.5 mm. Diameter,             base: About 2 mm. Shape: Tubular; elongated. Apex:             Five-pointed. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 150. Color: Immature: Close to 144A to 144B. Mature,             apex: Close to 9A. Mature, mid-section: Close to 144B.             Mature, base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20 arranged in             about two to three whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About             3.5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Waxy, smooth.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: 146A to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 3.1 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 5.5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Angle: About 45° from             vertical. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             15A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 15A.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Style             length: About 5 mm. Style color: Close to 154D. Stigma             color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial greenhouse conditions. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yorockport’, as illustrated and described. 